Strip folding and guiding attachment for sewing-machines.



A. H. DE VOE. v STRIP FOLDING AND GUIDING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES. APPIJIUATION FILED JULY 29, 1911. -1,0-24,316.

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Patented Apr. 23, 1912 INVENTOR 04M JZerZli fie Woe. 7W QwM nu PLAN A TTOR/VEY 3 SHEBTSSHBET 1.

A. H. DE VOE. v

STRIP FOLDING AND GUIDING ATTACHMENT FOB. SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY '29, 1911.

1,024,.3 1 6. Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

IIVI/E/VTOR Jlbert E fie Woe.

A TTORNEY WIT/V5885.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPM C01, WASHINGTON, n.c.

A. H. DE V03. STRIP FOLDING AND GUIDING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLIUATION P-I-LED JULY 29, 1911. 1,024,316.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR A TTOR/VE Y s 8HEETSSHEET a.

ilTTD %TATE% ATENT FFTQE,

ALBERT H. DE VOE, OF WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB. TO THE SING-ER LIANU- FACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

STRIP FOLDING AND GUIDING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. DE Von, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vestfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Strip Folding and Guiding Attachments for Sewing-Ma chines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in strip-folding and guiding attachments for sewing machines, and has to do primarily with the folding and attaching of facings or button and buttonhole strips to mens and womens garments, especially those made from knit fabrics.

In the manufacture of garments from knit fabrics, it has been the common practice to employ a single facing as the button hole strip.

This invention embodies means for securing upper and lower buttonhole strips arranged on opposite sides of said body fabric with their free longitudinal edges in alinement with and distant from the edge of said body fabric substantially one-half their width, which permits the under or button strip to be placed full width on the body fabric, thus effecting a more desirable finish.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a view in perspective, in front end elevation, of the front end portions of a sewing machine bed-plate and bracketarm equipped with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the strip folding guide-plate. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lower strip-folding guide. Fig. 4 is an underside view of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the lower strip-folding guide shown in Figs. 3 and 1, with certain elements omitted to more clearly show the construction of the main or body portion of said guide. Fig. 6 is a view, in perspective, of the lower fold-positioning blade and its carrying frame. Fig. 7 is a view, in perspective, of the cloth-presser mechanism. Fig. 8 represents details, in perspective, of the mechanism shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the integrally formed feed-clogs. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the lower strip- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 29, 1911.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

Serial No. 641,253.

folding guide-carrying plate. Fig. 11 illustrates one form of product effected by the present invention.

As the stitch-forming mechanism and the mechanism for actuating the integrally formed feed-dogs may be of any suitable construction, the latter mechanism has been omitted and only so much of the former shown as, is essential to an understanding of the operation of the invention.

Referring to the figures, 1 represents the front end portion of the bed-plate of a sewing machine, 2 the like portion of the bracket-arm, 3 the head of said arm, 4: the needlebar mounted in said head and provided at its lower end with the complemental eye-pointed needles, as 5, and 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 the integrally formed feed-dogs.

11 represents the commonly employed springdepressed resser-carrying bar mounted in the head 3 and carrying at its lower end the cloth-presser bracket 12 provided with guideways, as 18, into which are mounted to move vertically the respective cloth-presser carriers 14 and 15 provided with the respective notches 16 and 17 into which the respective ends 18 and 19 of the equalizing rock-lever 20 extend, said rock-lever being pivoted upon the screw 21 threaded into said bracket.

To the horizontally arranged arms 22 and 23 of the respective carriers 1% and 15 are pivctally attached by pins, as 2-1, the respective rocking clotl1pressers 25 and 26 provided with the usual needle openings, as 27, each of said cloth-pressers having its front end upturned, as at 28 and 29; and into each of the carriers 14 and 15 is threaded a screw, as 30, adjustable with respect to the upper surface, as 31, of the respective clothpressers to control the extent of rocking movement of the latter, said screws being held against accidental adjustment by check-nuts, as 82, a cap-plate 38 secured by screws, as 34:, threaded into the bracket 12 acting to hold the elements 14, 15 and 20 against displacement.

35 represents the throat or needle-plate secured by screws, as 36, to the bed-plate 1, and 37 the lower strip-folding guide-plate secured in like manner to said bed-plate.

The lower strip-folding guide for folding the longitudinal edges of the facing strip comprises the folding scroll plate 38 at the opposite edges of which are formed the folding scrolls 39 and 40, and between the flanged portions of said folding scrolls is secured, in the present instance by soldering, a tongue-plate 41 having an extended tongue portion 42 which coacts with said folding scroll to form the folds at the opposite edges of the facing strip.

43 represents a bracket secured, as by soldering, to the underside of the plate 38 and provided with lugs 44 and 45 having suitable openings in which a rod 46 is loosely mounted, and in said rod are secured by screws, as 47, the opposite ends of a wire frame 48, said rod being torsionally held by a spring 49 in the direction indicated by the arrow 25.

To the side of the folding scroll 40 is se cured, as by soldering, an attaching plate 50 provided with openings, as 51, through which extend screws, as 51, threaded into openings, as 52, formed in the lower stripfolding guide-carrying plate 53, which latter is mounted in the guideway 54 formed in the bed-plate 1, the movement of the plate 53 in the direction of the feed of the fabric being limited by the shoulder 55 contacting wit-h the wall 56 of the lug 57 forming a part of said lower strip-folding guideplate and in the opposite direction by the shoulder 58 contacting with the wall 59 of said lug.

60 represents the lower fold-positioning blade secured by screws, as 61, to the upper side of the tongue-plate 41 and provided at its forward end with extended portions, as 62, and 63 represents a body fabric guide secured by screws, as 64, to the plate 41.

65 represents ascroll guide bracket pivotally mounted on the stud-screw 66 tln'eaded into the bracket 67 which, in turn, is secured by screws, as 68, to the clothresser carrying bar 11, a spring metal plate 69 secured by screws, as 70, to said bracket acting against the inner side of the head of said stud-screw to frictionally hold said bracket in its elevated position, the lug 71 determining the limit of its downward mrwement, and 72 represents the upper strip-folding guide suitably secured to the outer end of the bracket 65.

73 represents the upper fold-positioning blade oscillating frame having formed integral with it a short shaft 74 mounted in the bearing 7 5 formed in the bracket 7 6 extending out from the cap-plate 33, said shaft being provided with a collar 77, secured by screw 78, for holding it against movement in the direction of its length.

79 is the upper fold-positioning blade carrying rod mounted to slide in a suitable bearing formed in said oscillating frame and carrying at its forward end the upper fold-positioning blade 80, said blade carrying rod being held against axial movement by the guide-rod 81, attached collar 82 and groove 83, the movement of said blade in the direction of its operative position being limited by the collar 82 and in the opposite direction by the collar 84, secured by screw 85.

86 represents a spring, suitably secured to the underside of the bracket 76, the outer end of which coacts with a flattened surface (not shown) formed on the shaft 74 to hold said blade in its elevated position, as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation of the improved mechanism for effecting the product illustrated is as follows The cloth-presser is first raised in the usual manner to 1ts elevated position, and the lower stripfolding guide, attached fold-positioning blade and wire frame are moved back from the line of needle actuation until arrested by the shoulder 58 contacting with the wall 59, followed by passing one end of the facing strip into the opening 88 and out through the delivery end 89 of said lower strip-folding guide (Figs. 3 and 4) thus forming the folds 90 and 91. When inserting the facing strip as above pointed out, the end thereof is carried beyond the free end of the fold-positioning blade 60 sufficiently to lay the fold 92, which is formed by folding the end of the facing strip back over the free ends of said lower strip-folding guide and fold-positioning blade, where it is held beneath the loop 93 of the spring-controlled wire frame 48. The body fabric 93 is then placed beneath the presser-foot with the edge 94 in guiding relationship with the right hand wall 95 of the body fabric guide 63, when said lower strip-folding guide and attached elements, together with the facing strip, are advanced into operative relationship with the stitchforming mechanism with the fold 92 in position to be pierced by the needles, which is effected by the extended portions 62 of the lower fold-positioning blade passing in between the feed-dogs and needles. To position the upper facing strip 96 in stitching position with respect to the body fabric, one end of said strip is passed into the opening 97 of the upper strip-folding guide 72 and out through its delivery end 98, which forms the side folds 99 and 100, said strip being advanced sufficiently to form the fold 101, which is effected by the end of the facing strip coming in contact with the wire 102 carried by the cloth-presser bracket 12, followed by the upper strip-folding guide being adjusted downward to its limit of movement, when the upper fold-positioning blade 80 is moved in between the fold 101 and said facing strip and advanced to the limit of its inward movement, thus positioning said fold in stitching relationship with the previously positioned facing strip and the body fabric, after which the cloth-presser is lowand the upper fold-positioning blade re turned to its inoperative position, as shown in Fig. 1, the notches 103 and 104: formed in the blade 80 permitting the free edge of said blade to position the fold 101 in line with the descending needles.

105 and 106 represent oppositely arranged fold-guides adjustably secured upon a plate 107 formed integral with the rocking cloth presser 25 and acting to guide the longitudinal folds 99 and 100.

After the fabric and facing strips have been positioned as above pointed out, the stitching operation is commenced and continued to within a short distance of the finished end, when both the lower and upper strip-folding guides are returned to their inoperative positions, the lower facing strip severed in line with the groove 107 formed in the lower strip-folding guide-plate, and the upper facing strip severed to correspond in length to said lower facing strip, when the folds 108 and 109 are manually formed and the stitching continued to the edge 110 of the body fabric.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is 1. A fabric guide for sewing machines, a lower strip-folding guide adjustably mounted on the bed-plate of the sewing machine and provided with means for folding the oppositely arranged longitudinal edges of a lower facing strip, a fold-retaining element, a foldpositioning element and a body fabric edgeguide carried by said lower strip-folding guide, in combination with an adjustably mounted upper strip-folding guide provided with means for folding the oppositely arranged longitudinal edges of an upper facing strip and coacting with means for forming a fold across the end of said upper facing strip, and means for positioning said last mentioned fold in operative relationship with the stitch-forming mechanism.

2. In a fabric guide for sewing machines, a lower strip-folding guide secured to a carrying plate adjustably mounted on the bedplate of the sewing machine, said lower strip folding guide being provided with means for folding the oppositely arranged longitudinal edges of a lower facing strip, a fold-retaining element, a fold-positioning element and a body fabric edge guide carried by said lower strip-folding guide, in combination with an adjustably mounted upper strip-folding guide carried by the cloth-presser carrying bar and provided with means for folding the oppositely arranged longitudinal edges of an upper facing strip and coacting with means for forming a fold across the end of said upper facing strip, and means for positioning said last mentioned fold in stitching relationship with the previously positioned facing strip and body fabric.

3. In a fabric guide for sewing machines, a cloth-presser mechanism, a lower stripfolding guide adjustably mounted on the bed-plate of the sewing machine and provided with means for folding the oppositely arranged longitudinal edges of a lower facing strip, a fold-retaining element, a foldpositioning element, and a body fabric edgeguide carried by said lower strip-folding guide, in combination with an adjustably mounted upper strip-folding guide provided with means for folding the oppositely arranged longitudinal edges of an upper facing strip and coacting with means carried by said cloth-presser mechanism for forming a fold across the end of said upper facing strip, and means for positioning said last mentioned fold in operative relationship with the stitch-forming mechanism.

4. In a fabric guide for sewing machines, a cloth-presser mechanism including compensating cloth-pressers, a lower stripfolding guide adjustably mounted on the bedplate of the sewing machine and provided with means for folding the oppositely ar ranged longitudinal edges of a lower facing strip, a fold-retaining element, a foldpositioning element and a body fabric edgeguide carried by said lower strip-folding guide, in combination with an adjustably mounted upper strip-folding guide provided with means for folding the oppositely arranged longitudinal edges of an upper facing strip and coacting with means for forming a fold across the end of said upper facing strip, and means for positioning said last mentioned fold in operative relationship with the stitch-forming mechanism.

5. In a fabric guide for sewing machines, a cloth-presser mechanism including compensating cloth-pressers, one of which is provided with oppositely arranged adjust ably secured edge-guides, a lower strip-folding guide adjustably mounted on the bedplate of the sewing machine and provided with means for folding the oppositely ar ranged longitudinal. edges of a lower facing strip, a fold-retaining element, a foldpositioning element and a body fabric edgeguide carried by said lower strip-folding guide, in combination with an adjustably mounted upper strip-folding guide provided with means for folding the oppositely arranged longitudinal edges of an upper facing strip and coacting with means for forming a fold across the end of said upper facing strip, and means for positioning said last mentioned fold in operative relationship with the stitch-forming mechanism.

6. In a fabric guide for sewing machines, a lower strip-folding guide mounted adjustable with respect to the bed-plate of the sewing machine and provided with a fold retaining element, a fold-positioning element and a body fabric edge-guide, in combination with an adjustably mounted upper strip-folding guide provided With means for folding the oppositely arranged longitudinal edges of an upper facing strip and coacting with means for forming a fold across the end of said upper facing strip, and means for positioning said last mentioned fold in operative relationship With the 10 stitch-forming mechanism.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ALBERT H. DE VOE.

Witnesses:

AROHIBALD TREeAsKIs, H. A. KORNEMANN, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

